Viñales

Viñales is more than just the countryside.  It is rural, cowboy, Cuban, and wonderful.  This is a place where livestock and people live harmoniously, where horses and cars share the road, and where tourists become part of the community.  

Baby chicks were everywhere.  Many many "why did the chicken cross the road" jokes!

This teeny, tiny frog kept us company while we ate.

We stayed in another casa paraticular here, this time with Maxdey and Barby, mother and daughter, along with their families.  They arranged for us to get there in a taxi collectivo, which meant 9 adults riding in a 1954 Chevy that had been retrofitted with a/c (thank goodness!) and TV to watch Cuban music videos.  The 110 mile drive took about 4 hours and included stops for the driver to buy shaved ice and to hug every one of his friends along the way.  It was quite entertaining!

We spent two nights in Viñales.  On our first night, Maxdey's husband, Jesus, drove us to a restaurant where we ate a local feast and enjoyed a beautiful view while we waited out the thunderstorm.  

Then we took a tour of the local finca, a UNESCO site.  These guys are amazing.  They farm tobacco for cigars, coffee, honey, guava for a local rum, Guayabita del Piñar, and lots of fruits and vegetables, and all of it is organic and farmed manually.  Their UNESCO designation means they can't use any chemicals or machines on the property.  As we rode on horses through the farmland, all of the animals wandered freely.  It was peaceful and beautiful.  Our timing was right to watch the sunset and ride back in the moonlight.  

A lesson in how to roll the tobacco leaves into cigars

Mojitos (made with honey instead of sugar) and cigars

Justin's horse didn't take direction very well!

coffee, guava rum, and honey

That night we were escorted home on foot by our tour guide, Daido.  He pointed out his cousin's paladare and recommended we eat dinner there.  Like many paladares, this one was in their home, and to get to our terrace seating (on their rooftop) we had to walk through their living room and kitchen.  Daido's girlfriend was our waitress and we spent the evening chatting with him about life in this small town.  

Daido is camera shy in the background

Justin tried a local drink.  Made with grenadine and honey, it was thick and a bit medicinal.

Casa de Mojito (where Justin drank a Cubata -a Cuba libre made with 7 year instead of white rum- not a mojito)

After the hustle and bustle of the city and of traveling, we were glad for a chance to relax.  We spent most of our last day at the local pool swimming and watching families have fun.  It was reminiscent of 20 years ago, both in fashion and in behavior.  Ruched jeans were everywhere! But seriously, because internet access is only available by purchasing hourly cards from the government and wifi is not widely available, the culture of social media has not taken hold in Cuba.  Instead, families laugh and talk and play together.  

view of Viñales from the mountaintop pool

Once again, our timing was serendipitous because it was the annual festival in Viñales the weekend we were there.  The main street was closed to traffic and everyone gathered outside to dance, eat, and socialize.  We joined in for a bit and then headed home to eat dinner at Maxdey's house.  I can't say enough about how awesome this meal was.  Maxdey and Barby made us the best dinner we ate on the entire trip.  (And they stuck to all of our pesky dietary restrictions!) We learned about a new fruit, mamey, which tastes a lot like the most amazing sweet potato ever.  They even made cupcakes for dessert!  It was such a relaxing night of hanging out with Maxdey's young daughter and watching her family mock their talkative rooster.  

We read that many people go to Viñales as a day trip.  I'm so glad we opted to stay for the weekend.  It's natural beauty and tours are worth the trip, but it's people are worth the stay.